Practical
Plants

Plantago lanceolata

Ribwort Plantain

a perennial member of the Plantago genus in the family Plantaginaceae.

No photo available

Taxonomy and growth

Life cycle
perennial
Height
0.45 m
Spread
0.2 m
Fertility
Self fertile, Wind, Flies, Beetles
Flower type
hermaphrodite
Pollinators
Wind, Flies, Beetles

Uses

Edible uses

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Young leaves - raw or cooked[3][22][23]. They are rather bitter and very tedious to prepare, the fibrous strands are best removed prior to eating[25][10]. The very young leaves are somewhat better and are less fibrous[K]. Seed - cooked. Used like sago[9][10]. The seed can be ground into a powder and added to flours when making bread, cakes or whatever.

Plant part
Leaves
Plant part
Seed

Medicinal uses

Historical medicinal uses. These records describe reported uses. They do not establish safety or effectiveness. Ask a qualified health professional before using any plant medicinally.

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Ribwort plantain is a safe and effective treatment for bleeding, it quickly staunches blood flow and encourages the repair of damaged tissue[19]. The leaves contain mucilage, tannin and silic acid[18]. An extract of them has antibacterial properties[17]. They have a bitter flavour and are astringent, demulcent, mildly expectorant, haemostatic and ophthalmic[25][4][13][5][6][15][18][19]. Internally, they are used in the treatment of a wide range of complaints including diarrhoea, gastritis, peptic ulcers, irritable bowel syndrome, haemorrhage, haemorrhoids, cystitis, bronchitis, catarrh, sinusitis, asthma and hay fever[16][19]. They are used externally in treating skin inflammations, malignant ulcers, cuts, stings etc[21]. The heated leaves are used as a wet dressing for wounds, swellings etc[14][15]. The root is a remedy for the bite of rattlesnakes, it is used in equal portions with Marrubium vulgare[12]. The seeds are used in the treatment of parasitic worms[14]. Plantain seeds contain up to 30% mucilage which swells up in the gut, acting as a bulk laxative and soothing irritated membranes[16]. Sometimes the seed husks are used without the seeds[16]. A distilled water made from the plant makes an excellent eye lotion[24].

Product or use
Antibacterial
Product or use
Antidote
Product or use
Astringent
Product or use
Demulcent
Product or use
Expectorant
Product or use
Haemostatic
Product or use
Laxative
Product or use
Ophthalmic
Product or use
Poultice

Material uses

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

A good fibre is obtained from the leaves[21], it is said to be suitable for textiles[2]. A mucilage from the seed coats is used as a fabric stiffener[21]. It is obtained by macerating the seed in hot water[1][2]. Gold and brown dyes are obtained from the whole plant[7].

Product or use
Dye
Product or use
Fibre
Product or use
Starch

Environment

Range
Europe, including Britain, from Iceland south and east to Spain, northern and central Asia.
Habitat
Grassland, roadsides etc, a common weed of lawns and cultivated ground, on neutral and basic soils[25][8].
Light
full sun
Shade tolerance
no shade
Water
moderate
Hardiness
Zone 6+
Soil textures
sandy, loamy, clay
Soil pH
acid, neutral, alkaline, very alkaline
Drainage
well drained
Tolerances
high wind, maritime exposure
Wind
Yes
Maritime
Yes
Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil
No
Drought
intolerant

Propagation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Seed - sow spring in a cold frame. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and plant them out in early summer. A sowing can be made outdoors in situ in mid to late spring if you have enough seeds.

Cultivation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Succeeds in any moderately fertile soil in a sunny position[11]. Plants also succeed in very poor land[21]. An important food plant for the caterpillars of many species of butterflies[20].

References

  1. Polunin. O. Flowers of Europe - A Field Guide. Oxford University Press 1969-00-00 ISBN 0192176218

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  2. Johnson. C. P. The Useful Plants of Great Britain.

    ↩1↩2

  3. Loewenfeld. C. and Back. P. Britain's Wild Larder. David and Charles ISBN 0-7153-7971-2

    ↩

  4. Triska. Dr. Hamlyn Encyclopaedia of Plants. Hamlyn 1975-00-00 ISBN 0-600-33545-3

    ↩

  5. Singh. Dr. G. and Kachroo. Prof. Dr. P. Forest Flora of Srinagar. Bishen Singh Mahendra Pal Singh 1976-00-00

    ↩

  6. Mills. S. Y. The Dictionary of Modern Herbalism.

    ↩

  7. Grae. I. Nature's Colors - Dyes from Plants. MacMillan Publishing Co. New York. 1974-00-00 ISBN 0-02-544950-8

    ↩

  8. Clapham, Tootin and Warburg. Flora of the British Isles. Cambridge University Press 1962-00-00

    ↩

  9. Kunkel. G. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books 1984-00-00 ISBN 3874292169

    ↩

  10. Facciola. S. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications 1990-00-00 ISBN 0-9628087-0-9

    ↩1↩2

  11. Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992-00-00 ISBN 0-333-47494-5

    ↩

  12. Coffey. T. The History and Folklore of North American Wild Flowers. Facts on File. 1993-00-00 ISBN 0-8160-2624-6

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  13. Lust. J. The Herb Book. Bantam books 1983-00-00 ISBN 0-553-23827-2

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  14. Weiner. M. A. Earth Medicine, Earth Food. Ballantine Books 1980-00-00 ISBN 0-449-90589-6

    ↩1↩2

  15. Foster. S. & Duke. J. A. A Field Guide to Medicinal Plants. Eastern and Central N. America. Houghton Mifflin Co. 1990-00-00 ISBN 0395467225

    ↩1↩2

  16. Bown. D. Encyclopaedia of Herbs and their Uses. Dorling Kindersley, London. 1995-00-00 ISBN 0-7513-020-31

    ↩1↩2↩3

  17. Chopra. R. N., Nayar. S. L. and Chopra. I. C. Glossary of Indian Medicinal Plants (Including the Supplement). Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, New Delhi. 1986-00-00

    ↩

  18. Phillips. R. & Foy. N. Herbs Pan Books Ltd. London. 1990-00-00 ISBN 0-330-30725-8

    ↩1↩2

  19. Chevallier. A. The Encyclopedia of Medicinal Plants Dorling Kindersley. London 1996-00-00 ISBN 9-780751-303148

    ↩1↩2↩3

  20. Carter D. Butterflies and Moths in Britain and Europe. Pan 1982-00-00 ISBN 0-330-26642-x

    ↩

  21. Grieve. A Modern Herbal. Penguin 1984-00-00 ISBN 0-14-046-440-9

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4

  22. Uphof. J. C. Th. Dictionary of Economic Plants. Weinheim 1959-00-00

    ↩

  23. Usher. G. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. Constable 1974-00-00 ISBN 0094579202

    ↩

  24. Chiej. R. Encyclopaedia of Medicinal Plants. MacDonald 1984-00-00 ISBN 0-356-10541-5

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  25. Launert. E. Edible and Medicinal Plants. Hamlyn 1981-00-00 ISBN 0-600-37216-2

    ↩1↩2↩3

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